Circuit controller



Sept. 15, 1959 c. H. FJSPRING 2,904,662

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 30, 1957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE/W'OR C.H. E SPRING Sept. 15, 1959 c. H. F. SPRING I cmcurr CONTROLLER FiledDec. :50; 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 FIG. 3

' INVENTOR C. H. E SPRING A T TORIVE V United States Patent CIRCUITCONTROLLER Conrad H. F. Spring, Kinnelon, N.J., assignor to BellTelephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York 1 This invention relates to circuit controllers and, more L2,904,662 Patented Sept. 15, 1959 ice the top surfaces of the panels 2and 3. The invention particularly, to a circuit controller having meansfor separately indicating different conditions of a controlled cir-Cult.

In certain types of equipment, it is necessary to employ circuitcontrollers, such as push buttons, mounted in a panel in such mannerthat the front or top surface of each of the push buttons is normallyflush with the surface of the panel. It is also required that thecircuit controllers or push buttons be so constructed as to providevisual indications of the different conditions of a controlled circuit,such as the nature of the function j to be perfomed, whether it isavailable, and whether the function has been performed. This can beconveniently accomplished by means of lamps located beneath theoperating surfaces of the push buttons. When this has been done, it thenbecomes desirable that quick, convenient access to the lamps should beavailable so that, when a lamp -burns out, it can immediately be removedand replaced with another lamp. p f r I I Accordingly, it is an objectof this invention to provide an improved circuit controller. It is alsoan object of tbisiinvention to provide a circuit controller withimproved means for separately indicating difierent conditionsof acontrolled circuit.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a circuit controllerof the push button type with a plurality of indicating lamps mountedbeneath the operating surface of the push button in an improved mannerfor permitting quick removal and substitution of the lamps. These andother objects of the invention are attained by constructing a pushbutton of light-transmitting material and slidably mounted within ahousing or casing. A plunger is attached to the push button forreciprocal movement therewith for the purpose of operatingcircuit-controlling contacts attached to the casing. In

is particularly useful in this environment where, due to limited spaceand weight allocations, the ordinary conglomeration of rotary switches,toggle switches, knobs, and lamps is undesirable. Furthermore, suchheterogeneous clusters of equipment do not meet the need for simplifiedmanual controls which are essential for're- .ducing mental and physicalloads imposed uponpeople who operate high-speed, complex equipment.These requirements are fulfilled by the present invention which is asimple, compact, manual control device containing all necessaryfeatures, such as illumination sources, identification of the controlfunction, and identification of difierent operational conditions of thecontrol func- =tion.

As can be best seen in Fig. 5, the circuit controller of this inventioncomprises three principal components: a push button unit 4, a lampholder unit 5, and a casing unit 6. In Fig. 5, the casing unit 6 isshown to be rotated 180 degrees with respect to the push button unit 4and the lamp holder unit 5 in order to illustrate more clearly certainof its components. Considering firstly the push buttonunit 4, itincludes an operating top surface 1, a middle recessed portion 7, a baseportion 8, and a plunger 9 which extends downward from the middle of thebase 8. All of these parts. are integral with each other and are formedfrom any suitable light-transmitting material. The lower portion of theplunger 9 is of fsmaller diameter than the upper portion, as is bestseen in Fig. 3, thereby providing a stop 10. The bottom edges of thebase portion 8' project downward in such ,a manner as. to form stops 11.The top portion 1 is slightly wider and longer than the middle portion 7so as to formprotniding edges 12 for a purpose described hereinafter.

The operating surface 1 is divided in two parts by a partition member 13which extends downwardly order to indicate the different conditions ofthe circuit controlled by the contacts, separate portions of the face ofthe push button are independently illumined by a plurality of lampswhich are slidably. retained in recesses formed in a holder which isrotatably mounted on the plunger.

These and other features oflthe invention are more fully discussed inconnection with the following detailed description of the drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 illustrates one environment in which the flushmounted,panel-supported circuit controllers of thisinvention are useful; I I

Fig. 2 is a three-dimensional view bfa circuit controller in accordancewith thisinvention and. having its operating surface flush with thesurface of :a supporting panel; I 1

Fig. 3 is a three-dimensional the circuit controller of this invention;

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which the push button view partly insection of an its lamp assembly can be readilyrextracted from its 7supporting panel;

and is provided with two vertical bores 15 near each end.

Each of the bores 15 is of suitable size for receiving a lamp 16 whichis retained therein by a small circular spring 17 mounted in a grooveformed in the wall of its associated bore 15. The springs 17 are made ofelectrically conductive material and, therefore, may be considered asbeing equivalent to electrical contacts embedded in the body member 14for the purpose of completing electrical connections to the lamps 16.The top surface of the body member 14 has a raised portion 18 whichfunctions as a stop. One side of this raised portion 18 has a transversegroove 19 formed therein. A keying slot 20 is cut vertically in one sidewall of the body meniber 14.

The body member 14 is further provided with a vertical bore 21 throughits middle portion for slidably receiving the plunger 9. The upper partof the bore 21 has a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameterof-the upper part of the plunger 9 so as to permit the plunger 9 toslide freely therein. The lower part of the bore 21 has a diameter whichis slightly larger than the diameter of the lower part of the plunger 9so that this part of the plunger 9 can move freely therein. Thus, thelamp holder unit 5 is rotatably mounted or supported on the plunger 9. VThe wider part of the bore 21 extends nearly to the bottom of the bodymember 14 thereby forming a recessed portion around part of the lowerportion of the plunger 9 for receiving therein a coiled spring 22 whichencircles this part of the lower portion of the plunger 9. The lower.end of the coiled spring 22 rests on a seat formed by the top of thenarrow portion of the bore 21 and the upper end of the coiled spring 22presses against the stop 10 formed by the bottom of the thicker portionof the plunger '9. V

In addition, the lamp holder unit 5, through the medium of the coiledspring 22, supports the push button unit 4 in such a manner as to permitreciprocal moveinent thereof. The extreme downward end of thisreciprocal motion is limited by the engagement of the stops ,11 with thetop surface of the body member 14 and by the engagement'of the raisedportion 18 with the underneath surface of the base portion 8. Theextreme upward end of this reciprocal motion is limited by theengagement of a small snap ring 23 with the underneath surface of thebody-member .14, this snap ring 23 being mounted in a circumferentialgroove in the lower part of the plunger 9. Any extended upward movementof the plunger 9 would cause the lamp holder unit 5 to move up ward withit as is described hereinafter.

The casing unit 6 includes a receptacle member 24 of Suitable dimensionsfor snugly and slidably receiving the lamp holder unit 5, the baseportion 8 of the push button unit 4, and the lower part of the middlerecessed portion 7 of the'push button unit 4. The receptacle member 24has two flanges 25 on opposite sides thereof. Each of the flanges 25 hasa hole 26 drilled therein for the purpose of admitting a screw 27. Thesescrews 27 serve to fasten the casing unit 6 to the underneath surface ofone of the control panels, such as the panel 3, as is represented inFig. 2.

the lamp holder unit 5. Since the body member 14 is made of electricallyconductive material, this side'of the lighting circuit continues throughthe body member 14 to the circular springs 17 and then to the shells ofthe One side of the receptacle member 24 is provided with 7 a verticalslot 28. A leaf spring 29 has its lower end fastened by means of rivets30 to the casing unit 6 at such a location that the upper part of theleaf spring 29 is received within the slot 28 as is shown in Fig. 2. Theleaf spring 29 is cr'imped transversely near its upper end as isindicated by the reference numeral 31 in Fig. 2. The .crimped portion 31is so located on the leaf spring 29 that, when the push button unit 4 isinserted in the receptacle mcmber24, the crimped portion 31 snaps intothe transverse groove 19 in the raised portion 18 .of the body member 14of the lamp holder unit 5. This enables the receptacle member 24 to holdor .retain both the lamplholder unit '5 and the push button unit 4subject to their removal therefrom in a manner described hereinafter.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, two conventional spring contact members32 aremounted on insulating material which .forms the bottom 24a of thereceptacle member 24. The contact members 32 .are properly located for Apair of conventional circuit-controlling mechanical contacts 36 aresecured to the lower part of the casing unit 6 by a clamp 37 which isfastened thereto by bolts 38. The clamp 37 is provided with an integralspring operating member 39 for operating the'contacts 36. This springoperating member 39 is positioned immediately beneath the bottom end ofthe plunger 9.

When the operating surface 1 of the push button unit 4 is manuallydepressed, it actuates the plunger -9 and causes it to move downwardthrough the central bore 21 in the body member 14 of the lamp holderunit 5 thereby compressing the coiled spring 22' In moving downward, thebottom end of the plunger 9 engages the spring member 39 and pushes itdown against the contacts 36. As was stated above, the extent of thedowm Ward travel of the plunger 9 is limited by the stops 11 on the baseportion'8 of the push button unit 4 and also by the stop constituted bythe raised portion 18' on the top of the body member 14 of the lampholder unit 5.

Upon release of thee manually exerted pressure, the coiled spring 22causes the plunger 9 and its push button unit 4 to move upward to theirnormal, or unoperated, positions. The extent of this upward movement islim ited, as was explained above, by the engagement of the snap ring:23, which is on the lower part of the plunger 9, with the underneathsurface of the body member 14 of the lamp holder unit 5. This upwardmovement of the plunger 9 allows the spring operating member 39 toreturn to its normal position.

.It can be understood that, for certain types of equipment, it isdesirable to use a large number of circuit controllers, as is indicatedin Fig, 1. As each of these push button circuit controllers includes twolamps 16, it can be seen that, with such a large number, it is probablethat one or more of them will burn out from time to time. When thishappens, it is imperative that. they be immediately removed andreplaced. Since the top surface 1 of the push button unit 4 is flushwith the surface of its associated control panel 3, as is shown in Fig.2, it is not possible to remove it by manually grasping it. Furthermore,in some instances, the person who is attempting to replace adefectivelamp 16 might be wearing gloves which would render theprocedure still more difficult. In addition, the pushbutt-on unit 4 is,at this time,

' being held in thereceptacle member 24 due to the enthe purpose .ofengaging conventional button contacts 16a 7 on the ends or the lamps 16.Each of thespn'ng contacts 3.2 has .a terminal post 33 extending throughthe bottom 24a of the receptacle member 24 and protruding therefrom inorder to facilitate their connection to separate electrical circuitswhich, since they form'no part of the present invention, are not shownin the drawing A contact clip 34 is secured to the lower part of anend'wall of tool 40 can be simphfied if the surrounding area of thegagement of the crimped portion 31 .of the leaf spring 29 with the.groove 19 .in the rais portion 18 of the body member 14 of the lampholder unit 5. v p

However, due to the fact that the top operating face 1 has pro rudinedges 12 produced by the recessed portion 7 of the push button unit 4,the problem isgrcatly simplified; All that is necessary is to :insert athin, flat 'edgeof a tool 40, such as a screw driver, into the spacebetween the panel 3 and the operating surface lot the push button unit4. When this is done, the operating surface 1 can be readily pried, orraised up, as is shown in Fig. 4, thereby disengaging the crimpedportion 31 of the leaf'spring 29 from the groove 19 in the raisedportion 18 of the body member 14. The insertion of the panel 3 isprovided with beveled edges as is indicated by the reference numeral 41in Fig. 4.

After the operating surface 1 has been thus raised up, it can be firmlygrasped so that the push button unit 4 can be readily pulled out,bringing with it the lamp holder unit 5 due to its above-describedengagement with the snap ring 23 on the plunger 9. Next, by simplyrotating the lamp holder unit 5 about the plunger 9, convenient accessto the defective lamp 16 may be had. The lamp 16 can now be easilypushed out of its retaining bore as is shown in Fig. 6. A new lamp 16can quickly be inserted into the bore 15 and pushed up until a flange 42at the bottom of the lamp 16 engages the underneath surface of the bodymember 14 of the lamp holder unit 5.

The push button unit 4 and its attached lamp holder unit 5 can now bereadily inserted into the receptacle member 24 of the casing unit 6 andpushed down until the crimped portion 31 of the leaf spring 29 snapsinto place in the groove 19 in the raised portion 18 of the lamp holderunit 5.

In order to insure that the units 4 and 5 are inserted into the correctreceptacle 24, the receptacle member 24 is provided with a keying pin 43which is so positioned as to slide in the keying slot in the body member14 of the lamp holder unit 4. Each of the circuit controllers has asimilar keying pin and slot placed at a dilferent location so as toobtain individual identification. If desired, more than one keying pinand slot may be used to identify any one 'of the circuit controllers.

As was stated above, this circuit controller provides separate visualindications of the different conditions of a controlled circuit, such asfunction not available, function is available, and function has beenperformed or is operating. For example, when neither of the lamps 16 isilluminated, this could serve as an indication that the particularfunction identified by the legend at the right on the operating surface1 is not available. When the lamp 16 as the right side of the plunger 9is illuminated, its rays will light the above-mentioned legend but, dueto the barrier constituted by the partition 13, the indicia at the lefton the operating surface 1 will not be illuminated. This condition couldsignify that the function is available. When both of the lamps 16 areilluminated, such as after the plunger 9 has effected the operation ofthe mechanical contacts 36. both the indicia and the legend will beilluminated. This lighting of the entire operating surface 1 couldsignify that the particular function has been performed or is operating.

What is claimed is:

l. A circuit controller comprising in combination circuit-controllingcontacts, a plunger for operating said contacts. an actuator attached tosaid plunger for effecting movement thereof, a lamp for illuminatingsaid actuator, and a lamp holder rotatably mounted on said plunger andformed with an opening therein for receiving said lamp.

2. A circuit controller in accordance with claim 1 and furthercomprising a receptacle member for receiving therein said lamp holder,and means for facilitating the removal of said lamp holder from saidreceptacle memher. said means including an instrumentality attached tosaid plunger for forcing said rotatably mounted lamp holder to follow anextended movement of said plunger.

3. In combination, a control panel having a top surface, a circuitcontroller comprising a push button unit having a top operating surface,a casing unit for receiving therein said push button unit, andinstrumentalities for fastening said casing unit to said control panelwith said operating surface of said push button unit flush With said topsurface of said control panel, said push button unit having meansforming at least one protruding edge on said operating surface forfacilitating its extraction from said casing unit, said means includinga recessed portion of said push button unit located immediately beneathsaid operating surface and attached thereto.

4. A circuit controller comprising a push button unit having anactuating surface, a base portion attached to the bottom of saidactuating surface, a lamp holder unit having a bore formed therein andextending completely through said lamp holder unit near one end thereofand adapted to slidably receive a lamp, said lamp holder unit havinganother bore formed therein and extending completely through the middleof said lamp holder unit, and a plunger attached to the middle of thebottom of said base portion of said push button unit for actuation bysaid top actuating surface, said plunger extending downward therefromthrough said second-mentioned bore for rotatably supporting said lampholder unit thereon.

5. A circuit controller in accordance with claim 4 and furthercomprising a. coiled spring encircling a portion of said plunger andseated within said second-mentioned bore for supporting said push buttonunit for reciprocal movement thereof.

6. A circuit controller in accordance with claim 4 and furthercomprising means in said lamp holder unit for supporting said pushbutton unit for reciprocal movement thereof, and instrumentalities forlimiting the ex tent of the reciprocal movement of said push button unitin one direction, said instrumentalities including stop members formedintegrally at each end of said base portion of said push button unit andadapted to engage said lamp holder unit, and means for limiting theextent of the reciprocal movement of said push button unit in anotherdirection, said last-mentioned means including a member positionedbeneath said lamp holder unit and attached to said plunger.

7. A circuit controller comprising a push button unit having a topactuating surface, a base portion attached to the bottom of saidactuating surface, a lamp holder unit having two bores formed therein,each of said bores extending completely through said lamp holder unitnear a respectively different end thereof and adapted to slidablyreceive a lamp, said lamp holder unit having a third bore formed thereinand extending completely through the middle of said lamp holder unit,and a plunger attached to the middle of the bottom of said base portionof said push button unit for actuation by said top actuating surface,said plunger extending downwardly through said third bore for rotatablysupporting said lamp holder unit thereon.

8. A circuit controller in accordance with claim 7 and furthercomprising means in said lamp holder unit for supporting said pushbutton unit for reciprocal movement thereof, and .instrumentalities forlimiting the extent of the reciprocal movement of said push button unit,said instrumentalities including a raised portion formed integrally onsaid lamp holder unit and adapted to engage said push button unit, saidthird bore extending through said raised portion, and said raisedportion being spaced apart from said two end bores.

9. A circuit controller in accordance with claim 8 and furthercomprising a receptacle member for slidably receiving therein said lampholder unit and at least a portion of said push button unit, means forretaining said units in place in said receptacle, said means includ inga slot formed in said receptacle member, a leaf spring having a firstpart fastened to said receptacle member and having a second partreceived within said slot, said second part of said leaf spring having acrimped portion, and a groove formed in said raised portion of said lampholder unit for engaging and retaining therein said crimped portion ofsaid leaf spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,462,767 OReilly Feb. 22, 1949 2,544,535 Kennedy Mar. 6, 1951 2,680,794Ballou can, June 8, 1954

